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"The Agency of Agriculture has announced the final round of Working Lands Fund grants this year.Sixteen agriculture and wood products ventures will each receive grants - averaging about $50,000 - which state officials say will provide seed capital to help them to grow and create new jobs across the state.Grant winners include the Vermont Wood Pellet Company in North Clarendon which received $38,000 to make its mill more efficient.\u00A0\"Right now we have more orders than we can possibly fill, which sounds great but my mill can't produce it all and we have to upgrade,\" company president Chris Brooks said. The grant would mean more income for loggers in southern Vermont, he added.Another grant for $50,000 will help construct a microbiology laboratory to help Vermont's artisan cheesemakers grow new cultures.Andy Kehler, of Jasper Hill Farm of Greensboro, said it's key to helping this sector reflect the 'terroir' -- or land -- of its home state.\"The bacteria used are fundamental to flavor development in the product and at this point most of the bacteria is being purchased from France,\" Kehler said.Other recipients include a training program to develop more butchers and meat-cutters -\u00A0 professional development for managers of farmers' markets - and new incubator space for emerging woodworking businesses.In all, about $750,000 was distributed Tuesday in the second and final round of grant funding.Gov. Peter Shumlin said he strongly supports the Working Lands Fund which the Legislature agreed to expand next year.The grants, he said, \"give critical capital to farms and forestland folks when they need it.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.mynbc5.com/article/vt-announces-final-rounds-of-working-lands-grants/3309928>